The Sprint Cup Series continues the 2010 season at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. The weather is clear and the track is fast.
Chris Myers opens the FOX coverage with the pre-race show from the Hollywood Hotel. He will be joined by Darrell Waltrip and Jeff Hammond. Last week saw more disorganization and less of a focus on the stories of the race. Comedy and inside jokes are pushing this show in a very different direction.
Perhaps, FOX is again seeking to entertain the exclusive casual fan, but after three hours of hardcore NASCAR pre-race news on ESPN2 and SPEED, it's just not working. Myers jokes are not funny and there is very little focus. Hopefully, the show gets back on track after a rough start.
Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds have been working this weekend on SPEED. They have already hosted the practice sessions and qualifying for the Sprint Cup Series. As they transition from SPEED to FOX, perhaps they can keep the momentum of the week going strong.
On pit road are Krista Voda, Steve Byrnes, Matt Yocum and Dick Berggren. Atlanta has a lot of action, so the reporters will be chasing strategy calls as the race progresses. The leaders can lap quickly here, so keeping viewers updated on the field will be continually important.
FOX has Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman coming from the back of the pack after engine changes. The network has Dale Earnhardt Jr. starting from the pole. They have Jimmie Johnson seeming to be bulletproof. This season, Kevin Harvick and RCR have found themselves and are running strong. There is no shortage of storylines from the drop of the green flag.
Darrell Waltrip holds the key to this race telecast. When he keeps himself in check and acts as a good teammate, things flow well. When he gets emotional and goes overboard with his comments, things fall apart. TV viewers have seen him do both this season.
Atlanta is so fast that it does not lend itself to using the in-car cameras live until the field gets strung out. The low level speed shots are tremendously effective on restarts and through the corners. Restarts on fresh tires are going to be the most exciting parts of the race. We saw that in the Saturday truck series race.
This post will serve to host your comments about the NASCAR on FOX coverage of the Sprint Cup Series race from the Atlanta Motor Speedway. To add your TV-related comment, just click on the comments button below. This is a family-friendly website, please keep that in mind when posting.
Thank you for taking the time to join us today as we live blog the race.
595 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 400 of 595 Newer› Newest»ok i will leave then sorry for honest commenting guess u only wanna hear what u want to???
No, they need to go back and reset. Like ESPN does with Bestwick from the infield.
@ScottW - for how many laps? Prism run the full race?
Finally showing some of the racing behind the leaders! Yay!
Jon, you are welcome to say whatever you want.
What you need to remember is that everyone's opinion is totally equal to yours.
Michael W will drive for Prism at Talladega. He announced that during the truck race.
Kyle coming in. Thinks RF is failing
Sally, only because DH is in top 3. Larry Mac's the only one with cajones to say his name or car number.
it's a good thing I have pitcommand from trackpass up - wouldn't be able to tell WHERE anyone is on the track.
Positive comments: Nice to see them look beyond the top 10. Good pit reports.
Constructive comment: Now would be a great time to go through the field & prepare for pit stops.
Negative comment: Camerawork still inconsistant.
Kyle got the caution wayyy late
I know and I respect everyones opinon, im just saying what im seeing and its not matching up to what there saying in my book. So far to me this race is much more polished than the first 3 races thats all. I was complaining last week cause I didnt like what I saw. Good job so far today Fox keep it up! I think they knew more people would be watching and they steped it up. Nothing close to the ESPN nationwide races this year but much better than the past few Sprint Cup races! Thats all sorry if I made anyone mad
Scott, how about that for the ultimate huh? MW for Phil in a PRISM car at Dega.
No probs, we are all adults...
Now we get an animated Kobalt airgun on the graphics?
how is it a huh JD? Mikey has supplied PRISM with cars for a year and ahalf now. They ran Blaney in the 600 last year with the 99 pit crew, etc.
Makes sense since they have some people in place rather than field a 4th car with no points, etc.
Bevo - The animation department needed something to do to keep busy.
Daly Planet Editor
That's what Michael said, "Imagine me driving for car owner Phil Parsons."
Nemecheck back out. FOX sports is wrong. Not out
The booth still blaming BK for Carl's crash! Love the unbiased attitude! Maybe they're just trying to promote those 'rivalries'?
bevo lol there the sponser. Anyone notice how digger is like the NFL Robot they have on Fox
Why go over the past on these Race Breaks and not use it to set up what's going on now?
Good Lord! Hammond with botched plastic surgery.
I tend to agree with Jonathan - not necessarily that the broadcast is great, but that those who have already claimed they have muted the broadcast or turned it off will spend the next week talking about how bad it was ad nauseum.
Anon 2:16...if the TV coverage can't keep the fans interested for less than 1/3 of the race, isn't that a pretty good indicator that the coverage sucks? when you have to rely on the radio to keep you up to date on the track action, I'd say that's a pretty big failure.
hate the gopher cam.
Now that's a better shot -- from overhead - good idea TV crew
So what do you guys think of the battle between the start and parks? Do you think that more coverage should be given to the race at the back of the pack?
Anon 2:16,
Know what that is? Their right do to so. Bad or good, happy or sad.
It's every fan's right to speak up about what they like and do not like.
Go try and control things elsewhere...
Animated "crank it up" graphic onscreen during dead-air segment of the show. Cartoon sound effect used during replay of Gordon's crash. I'm so far out of market no MRN on AM radio.
Stuck with FOX, then. At least it seems to be a good race. How are the stands that empty? Should be easy to find a price point for walk-up sales.
DCV...if the leaders are running mainly sigle file with no passing imminent, I'd love to see what's going on farther back in the pack. It would also behoove the booth to give us some 'thru the field' moments with comments on how each car is running, handling, etc.
I wonder if the Feds paid for the 2010 Census in car? LOL -- better than that awful commercial that they ran during the superbowl!
Daniel - I think it should be mentioned when they enter and exit the garage. The rest of the broadcast should be focused on the cars that try.
Ever seen how radio just flies through the field quickly with updates?
Did Jr hit the wall? It looked like it but I couldn't tell.
Fox has some great people working pit road. Hard to believe they can't find a way to catch viewers up with what's happening with more of the cars, isn't it?
So, if this race moves where will it go? SMI track right?
Good to be back today. Can we see a COMPLETE pit stop, instaed of two tires, then switch camera angles?
No Daniel, the race between the start and parks need not be covered, though when ANY car goes behind the wall it SHOULD be mentioned. Just like when any car comes to pit road the same equality should be given. Of course it is not due to major coorporate sponsors being in bed with the networks etc.
Today has not been as bad as Vegas but it still falls below the bar I personally have set for FOX over their decade of coverage.
No talk of Mark Martin's slow re-march back to the front. Harvick just riding in 20-something land.
Kyle not happy with the car down the straights in traffic.
Kurt running away
Sally - Carl didn't exactly completely admonish Brad ... He's still "he never gives me any room" ...
Sounds like Baby Brian is telling the boys to "fabricate the rivalries" ... Rivalry de jour is "BradK vs Everyone" ... ;-)
Maybe TV figures the scroll replaces the field rundown the radio gives. Gives them more time to talk about useless drivel.
alright AJ
Kobalt doesn't know how to do a viral campaign.
I really haven't listened to a race on the radio. Maybe I should sometime.
JD - yes,the radios ability to do a fast field rundown is one of the most important reasons that I listen -- I don't understand why the TV broadcasts don't do this any more?
I also agree that telling us when a car goes into and comes out of the garage is something that fans would like to know.
I get tired of trying to read the scroll or having to us another source to find out.
Didn't they already show the 9's pit stop?
JD- Yep, Bruton's not real big on giving up a race date :)
We said they TV guys have taken to using the ticker as a crutch. Used to have to find em, show em and then talk about em.
Now, it just scrolls endlessly and uselessly.
Those car lifts have emergency hooks that a car from falling like that... so it's a pretty silly commercial.
Gina how do you synce it up to the tv?? The radio feed is way off the tv feed, heck even when i try the internet the feed is way off. Only time I get to hear it synced up is when Direct TV used the radio feed during the chase
Thought he was going to move it to another one of his tracks Bevo?
Run it through the DVR and play with it until it matches.
So, as Montoya catches Busch, they go to commercial? We get another pass for the lead on replay? Oy.
We have Jr's hot pass on DirectTV but it's not showing him, just the track. Guess something happened to the camera.
no dvr here! DOH
Atlanta loses a race to Kentucky. It's all but done.
More importantly, does FOX miss the lead change since Juan has run Kurt down?
Hi, Jonathan - well, I'm not that hi-tech to try and sync it up. I usually mute the TV and have Jeff's scanner and the radio broadcast on thru trackpass. I only turn up the sound on the TV when something happens that I HOPE I'll get an explanation for.
I know others have done it and could probably explain, but I'm can't help with that.
How about a second date for Vegas? Bruton was gabbing about that as often as he could a couple of years ago when the Neon Garage (best fan-friendly area of ANY NASCAR track, IMHO) was first built.
OH-- Surprise surprise....another lead change in the making? Nah. Let's go to commercial instead.
david why would Atlanta lose a race? The stands look pretty good id say around 70% full and thats not bad at all still over 100,000. i say Cali needs to lose the spring race
Oh you just do this to have a laugh, don't you production truck? Very funny. #fyoufox #glovesoff
Whoops....my bad, jumped the gun on that one.
Cali/Auto Club is an ISC track. You'll have a huge fight on your hands if that even gets mentioned in the inner circles.
oh ok Gina, Hello btw! So is it getting warmer in NY? This weekend is much nicer than last, I was outside w a tshirt on woohoo feels so good
trackpass is having the same stupid technical difficulties for the past couple of weeks. It will suddenly come on with a "please tune back in during broadcast schedule". Aggravating as heck, since last time I looked, the race is on.
I think a second Vegas race might end up a like Fontana and have a lot of empty seats. When it's not special any more.............
Jonathan, it comes down to ISC vs SMI. SMI owns Kentucky, Atlanta, Bristol, Texas, Charlotte, New Hampshire, Infineon.
ISC owns Cali, Daytona, Talladega, Richmond, Phoenix, etc.
Cali will not lose a date to go to Bruton's track. If Cali loses a date it goes to an ISC track rather than a SMI Track. Cali would lose a date to Kansas and Atlanta to Kentucky.
Definitely can't send a California race to Kentucky. Good luck convincing the ISC stockholders on why they're going to lose a race to SMI's stockholders.
David,
Vegas is also an SMI track. Bruton was in love with going after a second race date when his Neon Garage was first built.
Don't leave that track out of the second-date mix.
Yes, we have had several days of 50 degrees plus and the sun is out. I went out for a run today since I'm training for an event in April.
How's Chicago?
oh ok David thanks for that didnt know that. Thats the one thing im not up to speed with is who owns what. Kentucky is a beautiful track and needs a date bad so that would be sweet. fans will flock to that race they will have to increase seating cause I think they seat 60,000 now, not enough for a Sprint Cup race
Well if Burton commits the ultimate blasphemy and takes a date away from Loudon, thats where the Vegas date would come from. That, or he buys Pocono...
Thank you FOX, for mentioning Underdog 38-Gilliland leading under caution. I am sure they, and Taco Bell thank you as well.
speaking of tacos, I think I'll get something to eat. brb.
~DCV
Another Goodyear problem brewing? MM just spun out from failed LR, after Robbie Gordon's crash from runaway LR carcass. Hmmmmm.....
Only problem with moving a race from Atlanta to Kentucky, would probably have to re-shuffle the calendar some, because it's not the Labor Day race Atlanta would lose. And you're lucky if it gets to 50 degrees at Kentucky this time of year.
Kansas will get a second race. They are building a casino and hotel next to the raceway. The raceway has already issued a petition to NASCAR for a second race. NASCAR is looking for races with a destination. Nothing better then a casino. Look at Vegas....
anyone know if that speedway that Rusty built in Iowa has any hopes of getting a cup date in the years to come? See I feel this will bring back Nascar Iowa, Kentucky good things are a comin
Pretty obvious to me - the California date will go to Kansas (ISC) and the Atlanta date to Kentucky (SMI) although not necessarily the exact dates due to weather. 2011 schedule will look very different.
Maybe Atlanta gets the "old days" treatment, and has the ending season race date. Homestead has been rumbled around under breath about not selling out, etc. Two years ago, it was actually mentioned in the media, as well as the booth (all networks) about switching Homestead with Atlanta or Daytona as season ending races.Funny how we all have the time to talk about schedule switching because FOX is at commercial. Again.
ah JR same ol same ol UGHHH
No way for Iowa unless ISC or SMI were to obtain it.
some great racing today!
My sentiment is this: Kentuck is an AWESOME destination for the NW series, but I don't feel it is Cup-worthy. It falls under the 1.5 mile cookie cutter config and that gives it by default a bad stigma. I mean I'd love to see Nashville Superspeedway and Kentucky get cup dates, Iowa too. But I don't know how realistic that is.
Iowa has a great chance given another 2 or 3 years.
Again though, ISC or SMI would have to give and neither company is willing/able/going to do so
At least Loudon sells out both its races. Pocono sure doesn't and that is one track that its better to watch the race on TV than actually attend. The sight lines are terrible.
Ahhhh, a Petty car in victory lane would be sweet for me! And probably a shot in the NASCAR arm for interest instead of : insert Hendrick car here.
While complaining about commercials, just think of the people in New York who have Cablevision who won't be able to watch the Oscars tonight because "Free TV" isn't free anymore to cable companies. Fox was able to reach an agreement with Time Warner for a per subscriber fee, which is actually keeping the number of commercials down.
Think how bad it could be... Also, remember that ESPN (and TNT) is geting money from advertisers and a per subscriber fee from cable companies and are still taking the same amount of breaks as Fox.
EVERBODY agrees that Pocono should lose a race but as long as Doc Mattioli is around it won't happen.
No hope for Iowa because it isn't a 1 1/2 mile track. It would make the rest of those tracks show how much of the boring races are because the tracks aren't designed to be competitive. Short tracks are always good racing. and we all know that a casino beats out good racing, don't we?
Wow. I come in here and blog two comments under commercial, and go back to the race, and sit down to, you guessed it: A commercial. God please make it stop!
Remember, Bruton and Atlanta asked to be taken off of the last race due to cold weather potential and cited that as the reason for low attendance, so they moved the last race Homestead-Miami.
What does it say about the racing when they have to build a casino to draw a crowd?
Lunch time here at The Speedzine Press Room! What do you eat during the race? I'm having some burritos! #nascar #TheSpeedzine "Eats"
Sally, don't underestimate the power of TV though. think of how often FOX has lobbied for double file restarts and the spoiler? Now look what is happening. Sure fans have lobbied for both too, but many have reacted at what TV has said and since TV keeps hammering the issue home, it happened.
If Iowa were to garner enough support, they could get a date. It just comes back to the "from where?" issue again
Finally, a "thru the field". Took them too long to get to this.
OsbornK: I totally agree. Kansas, Chicago, California are the same track. They just dig it up, move it during the night to said town. Yeah, casino's are the answer to everything. Not.
I can't say that I'd be in favor of there being any more mile and a half tracks being added to the schedule or even just shuffling them around. IMO NASCAR needs more variety in its tracks, especially if they continue to decide things by the chase. I don't know how they'd do it, but I'd love to see them find a way to 'shuffle" the races that decide the championship rather than have them on the same 10 every year.
Homestead is a nice track now that they rebuilt it.
87 had a 2nd stint in garage, they are back out again.
Anyone think Joe might be coming in when the tires get worn then hitting up bigger teams for their used tires?
So...they just skip around the field? No rhyme or reason to what cars get an update? What's with that?
And Fox is really pushing the Head2Head too.
Denny coming fast for the lead. Fox not saying a word
david I think the support will be there for Iowa! Did you see how packed that place was for the Nationwide race? That to me was the best race of the Nationwide season last year! Carl Edwards got out of his car and said he could race there every week the racing was that good
Another thing preventing Iowa from getting a Cup race is it's virtually in Kansas & Chicagoland's market area, both ISC tracks. And if Kansas is going to get a 2nd race, last thing they want is a nearby short track hosting a Cup race and siphoning off potential ticket buyers.
This seems to be the new trend. Leave the pre-race stories at the door and just show the obvious.
The strange thing is replaying the pit stops when they should be resetting the field.
This was a classic ESPN mistake that they just corrected this season.
The truck race was horrible. The producer was on Twitter today asking about it, I think he knows.
Anon @ 2:46 - NOT "everybody" agrees that Pocono should lose their 2nd date ... I like Pokeynose ... It tests the drivers' skills ...
nascar needs one race on dirt, Arca does it why not Nascar????
I'm guessing the 87 is trying to run 162.5 laps to avoid the rumored "run half the race or don't get paid" clause on the 2010 entry blanks.
David- I think that might be one of the things the 87 is doing, he may also be having mechanical trouble, and may actually working on the car.
@JD- Sorry for the miscommunication, thought you meant him giving up a date, not just moving one.
yeah Iowa was fun.
WOW a battle for the lead!?! Live?!?!?!
Good job FOX
Jonathan
Agreed, make it a bonus point race, and charity race.. Use Tony's race.
Update
Laps:
147
of 325
Time Elapsed:
01:38:16
Cautions/Laps:
5
19
Leaders:
7
Lead Changes:
12
JD, a couple questions please.
Who produced the truck race?
And how did somebody get announcers from 3 networks in one place for the Showtime show? ]
Are they not committed to their net contracts?
opps OK it's 3 questions
And they resisted using the in car for the Kasey/Kenseth racing. Hooray!
@tia - I haven't liked Pocono since NASCAR changed the gear rule so that they don't need to shift any more. It seemed to me that the racing was better there with the "old" car and when they shifted like it was a road course.
@Gina - I agree about the 1.5-mile tracks, more variety would be welcome.
And if a race date is taken away from a track, it shouldn't go to a track that already has a Cup date. Give it to a new track where the stands are more likely to fill up. Make the Montreal Nationwide race a double-header Nationwide / Sprint Cup weekend!
@David - #55 and #66 are shown as "off" on the ticker. Do you think they'll come back on track with 10 or 15 laps to go to avoid the teardown? And the #26 team said they had a good engine and would run the whole day.
my theme for the year... we should be at least 2/3 through the race not 1/2... need shorter races..too much sit and ride time in these races
Spider, Keith is the truck producer for SPEED and has been so for many years.
The reason Showtime got it to work is because TV contracts are written for types of networks.
As a premium cable TV network, Showtime does not violate the contracts of Myers, Watrip, Daugherty and Pemberton.
It also helped that the NASCAR Media Group is producing the show. That gets a lot of instant "cooperation."
Maybe the start and parkers could run the first 10 and the last 10 instead of the first 20.
Ah there is my MV friend!
Martin, remember I said they might do that last week? Come out towards the end to avoid that. I think it's possible
Did you guys know that Pocono ADDED a truck race this season?
How does that make any sense at all?
MartinVincent - I agree.
I wonder if the Spoiler will help those who stuggle w the wing JR, David Ragan, Truex
Montoya complaining he is drifting through the corners
MV: That's interesting. I wonder the same thing. I'll be watching all the Underdogs to see what happens. Hopefully, so will FOX.
JD, thanks, clear as a bell now. Is the NASCAR produced show another step to them controlling the broadcast someday? Maybe the races will also be aired on Showtime oneday? Hummmm
Pocono has a truck race this year, too? Oh boy, well, for me, that's another one I wouldn't drive 2.5 hrs to go see
What's up with that "Digger Cam" half buried in the ground? The center of the shot shows the ground and the bottom half is a reflection of the top half of the screen.
I have to admit, that ground camera makes me feel sort of sick.
Digger has low esteem now that he gets less airtime and is upstaged by DW.
Granted I'm not a highly trained and paid TV professional producer/director but if I was in charge of this broadcast I would have a pit reporter talk to folks in the pits to see if there is a set-up problem with tires or a compound thing instead of having guys in the booth speculate on it.
Truck race at Pocono... Wow being they are short races anyway, are they only going to make it a 10 lap race.... they will be out of gas by then.
@Spider - If that means Digger is going to go into his hole and never come back, I'm all for it.
He should bring Pizzi with him too!
Looks like the tread cam (real name) is buried in the grass. Little too deep for a good view.
Ragan coming back out.
I think the Pocono truck race was added out of necessity in order to have a 25-race season, but after losing several venues.....Milwaukee, California, Memphis, etc. For all intents and purposes, California's truck race went to Pocono.
Goodyear not looking real stellar today. We had an Atlanta tire debacle a couple of years ago too. DW blames the team's camber - it can't be Goodyear's fault.
@JD - Tread cam, you're right. Brings back memories of IRP where the camera was actually mounted inside the groove and the tread of the tires could actually pop it into the ground. It was spring-loaded and gave a better view than this setup.
for a track with boring racing Pocono actually gets pretty good attendance. That probably factored in to why they added the truck race there
Mike C. is 100% correct. And Darlington had to be added to replace Milwaukee.
Fox Sports Fantasy Racing? Really? Comon Fox, drop that dumb stuff.
Does anyone think of Mark Martin when you see the #17.....
Awful use of the pit reporters, talking about their fantasy picks.
Sweet!!! Now we get Steve Byrnes fantasy racing update!
Uh, guys... tire situation???
These track owners can't be making much. Between the tickets sold and paying NASCAR sanction fees it's rough. TV money is the only savior.
Pocono is great! I love the races there and I'm looking forward to that truck race. With the hole they punch in the air, it's going to be like the Cup races of the 1980's. I remember when the first Pocono race of the year was run on Father's Day and was a PPV race ONLY back in the late '80's. Today's trivia question is, who were the booth announcers during those Pocono PPV races? You could win a cookie! :-)
The 24 came in for tire problems - that's why they just pitted, plus they had wear on the RF on the earlier runs, too.
Mark Martin has had problems, too and we saw what happened to Ragan.
I heard them say on Jeff's radio that they weren't running a lot of camber so it is something else, but they aren't sure what.
GREAT camera work up front!
Montoya is the man!!!!! LOOK At that wooooo
JJ lurking in 6th place. Just wait - deja vu
they caught that on camera by luck.
@Bucky B I know Rick Benjamin did the race where Earnhardt flipped for Mizlou
This is an outrage! I want to know the other pit reporter's fantasy racing picks damit! And the sound guy's as well as the truck drivers too!
A momentary lapse of misjudgement leads to a great 5 lap battle for the lead. And now that the 9 takes the lead, cameras starting to falter.
Oh look, tire situation updates?
JD, im trying to be optimistic lol
Ryan and Bucky, I agree that Pocono does draw a great crowd, but my personal opinion of the racing when I went was that because of the size of the track and the location of the grandstands, the sight lines didn't work well. If it's a humid day, the cars disappear off into the mist for a long time before they come back. I just didn't find it exciting racing. Add in the parking and the poor road system, it made for a long day every time we went for not a lot of "fun".
I hear ya David! There is the boxing gloves bump!
Spending green flag racing updating Steve Byrnes' fantasy team was criminal IMHO. Sorry Steve got dragged into doing that.
Gina just curious have you ever been to Chicagoland speedway?
I think the fact that most of this page of the comments has been spent on other tracks and schedule speculation speaks volumes as to what Fox is putting on our screen right now. :-s
Prediction: Dale Jr. will be driving for another team within three years. Also, does anyone know who those creepy guys in the NAPA commercial are?
No, Jonathan, I've never made it out there. How is the racing in person? On TV it comes off as another big wide track.
I see JR going to RCR
I hear ya Gina. But I just love the head on shot of the cars fanning out 8 wide on the front stretch at times or at least back in the day. It's a real drivers race track. Ryan I'll take your word for it about Rick Benjamin. But the both announcers on those June Pocono PPV races were.....
Dave Despain and Lynn St. James.
KoHoSo - I know, I was thinking that as well.
Right, Jonathan. Childress actually said two or three years ago, he can see Jr. driving for him, and in the # 3 no less. Harvick is in his last year, and Dale is tiring of driving the
"r & d" car. Sorry, couldn't help but start the conspiracy theory. LOL.
Does anyone realize that next week there is NO NASCAR race from any of the three series? Very strange to have an off weekend for all major series.
These are the same tires that the drivers were raving about being so good yesterday, right?
Man, Kahne is just killing them out there.
Wow, look at those tires!
Weird to hear Mike Joy taking deep breaths. Seems to be more like Jerry Punch all the times.
oops...time
listening to PRN but turned on tv for CREEPY NAPA commercials and PRN keeps losing sound online.
NAPA has jumped the shark with the new adds. What a change from the funny quirky ones with MW. loved the ones with letters he would read from fans :)
radio back on, bye
Is anyone else noticing that Larry Mac is wearing out the phrase "the ## car..."? Dr. Punch was given a pretty hard time about this (and rightly so), do we give LM a pass since he's not the PxP guy?
Well, they are speculating that it is something in the HMS setups? If so, why is the 48 not having the same problem?
Lucky horseshoe?
Anon: I believe it's Easter weekend. NASCAR never races on Easter or Mother's day. Well, on Mother's day after a rainout at Darlington. I was there for that one.
Yeah its big and wide but the way the tracks laid out one big curve makes it unique w the "cookie cutter tracks" Sightlines are great you see everything! Nothing like Phoenix though. i've only been to Chicagoland and Phoenix and the one thing I love about AZ is your closer to the action, i like to be up close so I feel hear and feel the cars. But since PIR is a flat you dont get to see all the action. Still being in the desert is like no other
April 10 baby!
JD, remember when Dr. Punch stated that he had been told to "tone it down?" Could it be possible that Joy was told the same thing?
And now Darlington has Mother's Day weekend for their single race.
Next week is NOT Easter thus the oddity of no racing.
Garry Easter is April 4th!!
Lent just started a couple weeks ago. after Fat Tuesday the 16th. :)
@JD- Something is up with Joy. One week I can see and maybe even two but now we have a pattern. Hope he's ok and it's just work related.
report is that jimmie has a vibration
Plus Darlington is a sellout every year now.
I'm noticing quite a few awkward sounding gaps of dead air today.
LOL -- Garry, that's funny - fan those flames!
Oh you endured the rainstorm in Darlington that weekend, too? I thought we were going to drown! But I love the racing there, we went back that Sunday, too.
Next week isn't Easter
Sorry folks. I haven't had a beer all day. Must. be.the. sobriety....
Oh wait, the 48 is having to pit early. Maybe the horseshoe slipped just a little.
@Bucky B Earnhardt's flip at pocono:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_D3YLEflnQ
They put Darlington on Mother's Day weekend to try and kill Darlington off. They thought by putting it so close to Charlotte on the schedule that people in the Carolinas would by All-Star and 600 tickets and Darlington would become forgotten about and suffer. Problem, is, the opposite has taken place. Darlington is selling out and it's the All-Star race and 600 that's struggling to sell out. Rockingham being pulled completely off the schedule definitely got the attention of people in that area.....they'll do whatever it takes to make sure Darlington stays on the schedule.
I'm watching but with the sound off and listening to the radio and PRN, so I can't give an honest assesment of the broadcast in it's totality. So I'm just picking up on other lines of conversation. That being said, I think the racing has been fantastic and the best since Daytona. But my opinion of Fox's broadcast would be hollow since I'm not listening as I'm getting my PxP from the radio.
"I bet it very well probably is" - quote of the day by Larry Mc :)
Jonathan, if you like being close to the action, try and get to Martinsville some time. The first time we sat 2 rows off the track and it was awesome. We have seats higher up now, but you can see everything. Love short tracks, just love them.
Thanks Ryan, I'll check it out.
Just like ISC will not pull a race from Martinsville. Not enough short tracks and the fan backlash of taking a MV race for a cookie cutter Kansas would be tremendous.
And remember, Jim Hunter was president of Darlington years ago. He has a certain affinity for that Track. Brian wanted to kill it off altogether, but the fans spoke LOUD AND CLEAR. I live in Denver, Colorado, and I make that trek every year, partly because of history, partly because of the racing,but mostly because of Brian.
I went out and worked on the truck for a while, came in and against my better judgement, checked-in on the race. Didn't even get a minute in and had to turn it off.
DW.....just can't take listening to him, broadcast is off again and so am I
Jonathan, Bristol doesn't have a bad seat in the house and they're flooding the local airways trying to sell tickets to keep their streak alive.
Gina yeah always wanted to go to Martinsville! Oldest track on the circuit
Phoenix is awsome cause its in the middle of the desert, the roads that lead to the racetrack are only open during race weekend and you pre race it w cactus and sand under your feet. I know you said you were thinking of going, I say if you get the chance go for it, lol I look foward to going there more so than xmas
We like this, Fox keeps the leader on the screen during green flag stops.
This is what ESPN missed last season. No point of reference.
Since the 'chase', the COT and the repave, Bristol just isn't the same. I didn't renew my season tickets this year. Never thought that day would come!
MikeC - yes, NASCAR and ISC miscalculated that one big time. I met people at Darlington who had come from all over the country just because they were ticked off about the Southern 500 and wanted to make sure the track kept that one date.
Race fans are very loyal people - NASCAR forgot that and it has cost them.
Fox needs to go back to it's roots a little bit and give us some of the broadcasting that they did in the early days of the TV contract instead of whatever the trash they are giving us now.
Jonathan those roads are open all the time but yeah, Phoenix is pretty cool. I need to do a cup race there, still not sure if i'll make the April race or not
Fox just did a great job with Green Flag stops. Do you agree?
Did Bill Elliott just scrape the wall before his pit stop? They had a camera on him and they went to a different shot just as Bill was getting sideways on the high line.
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